Four National Team Members Help JFK win both Boys and Girls Title

The JFK girls successfully defended their championship in dominating fashion by earning 211 total team points. The Guam High Panthers were over 100 points behind with 93 points and the Okkodo Bulldogs earned their first ever girls team trophy in track and field with 78 points.

“I’m really proud of my team and am proud of everyone in it,” said JFK sophomore Regine Tugade, a member of last year’s championship team. “I had a lot of confidence that we would take the championship again.”

Tugade was a key component in JFK’s victory by winning three individual events: 200m (26.34), long jump (4.71m), and triple jump (10.57m). Tugade stated that their team built confidence throughout the season and knew that if they worked hard that the championship would be theirs again.

“I didn’t do as good as I wanted to (in my performances), but I personally feel like I still did good with three gold medals and know I tried my best,” added Tugade.

The Islanders’ boys faced a more difficult challenge between the defending champion Panthers, but ultimately pulled away from their competitors and brought the title back to JFK. JFK’s boys finished with 134 points while Guam High finished with 117 points for second. The GW Geckos were third with a total of 83 points.

“It’s really been tough since we lost last year by a couple of points to Guam High, but it really motivated (us) to turn our routine around,” said JFK senior John Aquino IV. Aquino stated that they had begun practicing earlier and working on more speed this year.

JFK’s John Aquino IV leads the pack and goes on to win the boys 1500 meter run. (photo by Joey Blas)

“Right now I”m happy. My team’s happy, my coaches are happy and we couldn’t do it without each other. It’s been a really emotional state right now because of winning both boys and girls (championships). It’s been awesome out there,” added Aquino.

Aquino led the way for the Islanders with four gold medals by completing the middle distance sweep of the 800m (2:05.32), 1500m (4:21.01), and 3000m (9:31.72) runs, while also helping his team win the 4x400m relay (3:39.79) to end the night.

“It’s not easy (winning four events). It really hurts, but it’s my last year and I told myself that if running is really a career that I want to set for myself in life then I need to win these four events if I want to be someone in the long run. I was really motivated by my mom and my two coaches (Eladio Manansala and Jay Antonio) for helping me and giving me strength. I really want to thank a special person that couldn’t be here right now. I’m really motivated; I’m ready for college right now.”

Event Recaps

JFK came out of the gates strong by starting the meet with victories in the boys and girls 3000m runs. Aquino cruised through the finish line of his race in 9:31.72, ahead of Guam High’s Austy Hines (10:00.85) and FD’s Nathan Francis Abril (10:02.16). For the girls, JFK’s Genina Criss ran well by setting a huge personal best of 11:47.84, beating Guam High’s Emma Martin (12:30.48) and Taloani Atoigue (12:39.50).

In the 110m and 100m hurdles, Guam High swept both events. Zhivoco Smith lowered his personal best to 16.35 seconds and beat JFK’s Johnny Quitugua (16.40) to the line. Entering the race, only 0.05 seconds separated the two hurdlers and that distance remained the same on Friday.

“Racing against Johnny Quitugua was the best part. He made the hurdles for me,” said Smith. “We pushed each other and today we both (set personal records) by far.”

Guam High’s Calvin Harmon makes a nice landing on the first heat of the long jump. (photo by Joey Blas)

Smith also won the 400m in a photo finish with a time of 54.06, ahead of Okkodo’s Richard Hale III (54.08) and Southern’s Christian Gico (54.10).

“I thought for sure (Hale and Gico) were in front of me,” said Smith when asked if he knew he had won the 400m. “That was the best race of my whole track career”

Minutes after the 400m, Smith went on to run the 300m hurdles, placing third in 43.57.

“Most of the time it’s mental, but that was physical,” said Smith on the difficult back-to-back. “I pushed it and did what I had to do.”

Smith plans on attending college in Washington state and wants to continue to run hurdles.

“I know all the the teams brought it because every race seemed so close. I just want to congratulate everybody; I feel so accomplished. This is a good way to end my senior year,” Smith added.

Guam High’s Christina Francisco completed her 2014 season undefeated by taking the 100m hurdles in 17.50 seconds. Jadine Mika Rosario of JFK was second in 18.82 and Anne Kaye Alba, also of JFK, was third in 19.05. Francisco would later win the 300m hurdles by a wide margin in 50.39 seconds.

JFK’s Alison Bowman also had a big night by winning the 1500m in 5:16.47, leading a JFK sweep of the event. Criss was second in 5:30.65 and Maria Ollet was third in 5:32.60. JFK’s Lorraine Milan took fourth place in 5:45.90. Bowman would later win the 800m in 2:30.97, followed by Ollet in 2:37.33 and GW’s Jeashalyn Fejeran in 2:37.73.

Southern’s Taitague dominates the throws

Southern’s Jaena Taitague won the girls discus with a throw of 23.18m. JFK’s Salina Vuong was second in 22.27m and Okkodo’s Amanda Cruz was third in 22.11m. Taitague also won the shot put with a throw of 8.20m. Cruz of Okkodo was second in 7.74m, followed by Vuong in 7.64m.

Sanchez’s Adrian Nacino came out on top in the discus with a throw of 34.62 meters. Nacino edged Guam High’s Lordan Aguon (34.19m) and Southern’s Ryan Teologo (34.05m). JFK’s Pedro Aquiningoc was able to defeat Nacino in the shot put with his 11.95m throw.

Walker vs Tugade

With the title of the fastest high school girl on the line, GW’s Raquel Walker outleaned JFK’s Tugade to come away with a win by the slimmest of margins. Walker’s time of 12.83 seconds beat Tugade’s 12.85 and was the fastest time run at a IIAAG meet this season. The two are the only high school girls to have run faster than 13 seconds in 2014.

Later in the evening, Tugade would come back for revenge in the 200m with a time of 26.34 to Walker’s 26.39.

For the boys, FD’s Stefan Taitano-Dalyrmple won convincingly with a time of 11.76 seconds, for a huge personal best (previous 11.92). GW’s Alex Dunn finished second in 11.92 and Guam High’s Keith Chauret was third in 11.93.

The 200m was a different story with Dunn winning in 23.65, Chauret in second (23.84), and Guam High’s Austin Cantrell in third (24.16).

GW twins win jumps

Identical twins Ethan and Eric Alegre of GW came away victorious in the jumping events. Ethan entered the All-Island meet tied for the top seed in the high jump with height of 5 feet 10 inches and Eric was ranked sixth in the long jump with 5.60m. On Friday, Ethan won with a jump of 5’ 8”. Eric shocked the league by jumping an impressive distance of 6.22m in the long jump.

GW Ethan Alegre leaps over the final hurdle and sprints to the finish line to win the boys 300 meter hurdle race. (photo by Joey Blas)

Record-breaking relay

JFK’s girls put an exclamation point on the evening by breaking the IIAAG 4x400m relay record in the final event of the meet. The team consisted of Kaitlyn Calma, Ollet, Queenie Agtarap and Bowman, finished with a time of 4:19.78 and shattered the previous record of 4:21.60 by GW in 2011. The old record team consisted of Rhea’da Unpingco, Naomi Blaz, Sierra Daughtry, and Alexandria Daughtry.

Other winners:

- Guam High won the 4x100m relays for both boys (45.62) and girls (54.13).

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